Footwear



M. GUSTIN Dec. 17, 1935.

FOOTWEAR v Filed March 15, 1935 Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to footwear and is particularly directed to a ladys boudoir slipper.

An object of this invention is to provide a slipper of the character described, having a highly improved sole adapted to retain its shape for a long period of wear, and being so constructed that the nails which attach the sole to the heel will be retarded from becoming loose from the sole and thus prevent the separation of the heel from the sole.

A further object of this invention is to provide a slipper of the character described, having a highly improved back strap construction for holding the slipper on the foot.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a durable and rugged slipper construction of the character described, which shall comprise comparatively few and simple parts, be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, comfortable tense, and withal practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a slipper embodying the invention, shown on the foot;

Fig. 2 is a rear end view of my improved slipper;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the nail plate;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of. a portion of the inner sole;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the completed inner sole before incorporation into the slipper;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the nail plate similar to Fig. 5; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the lower right hand corner portion of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, Ill designates a slipper embodying the invention, shown on the foot l l. The slipper comprises an inner sole 82 attached to the outsole I3 and upper or vamp I5, and fixed to the heel IS in the manner hereinafter explained in greater detail.

The inner sole or member 12 comprises a sheet of cardboard 20 or the like material, of the shape of the bottom of the slipper and having a rear 5 heel portion 2! and a front portion 22. Attached to the heel portion 2| is a member 23 comprising a metal plate 24 from which extend a plurality of spikes or pins 25. These may be in the form of tacks or nails having the heads 26 thereof welded 10 to the plate as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The plate 24 lies on the upper surface of the heel portion 2| and the spikes pierce the latter. Or the plate may be in the form shown at 24' in Fig.

9 with the integral prongs extending there- 16 from.

Overlying the members 20 and 23 and attached to said member 20 is a member 21 comprising a. shank 28 of paper-board or the like material, to the underside of which there is attached by nails 20 or rivets 29a a strip 29 of steel or other metal. The strip 29 is pre-shaped to the curve of the arch of the foot. The shank 28 is preferably smaller than the member 20 and may be attached to the latter by clips 30 disposed on opposite sides 5 and at the ends of said shank. Upon attaching the shank 28 to the member 20, the latter is bent at the mid-portion thereof to the same arched shapeof the strip 29 and to conform to the last.

It will be noted that the rear portion of the shank 30 28 substantially covers the nail plate 24 to hold the latter in place. The inner sole I2 is com pleted byplacing a layer or pad 32 of wool or other soft material on the upper surface of the members 20, 28 and covering the same with inner end outer sheets of cloth 33 and 34 to cushion the foot against the hard materials of the insole. The inner sheet may be flannel and the other sheet satin, silk, or any other suitable fabric which will harmonize with the appearance of. the upper or 40 vamp l5. The flannel prevents the satin sheet from being cut by the edge of member 20. The edges of the sheets 33 and 34 are turned under the sheet 20, and the inturned edges sewed together by the thread 36, in the usual manner. In this assembly it will be noted that the inner sole is first made up in a separate unit including as part thereof the heel plate with the integral nails and spikes. The latter provides a practical means whereby the inner sole may be securely and directly attached to the heel in a simple operation. Separation of the inner sole from the heel, as where glue is employed, and possible displacement of nails, as where the latter are used, is thus retarded.

' ering |5d of any suitable material.

The outer sole comprises a sheet of leather l3 suitably shaped. A filler sheet 4| which may be of paper or similar material is cemented to the upper surface of the outer sole l3. The sheet 4| is of a smaller size than the outer sole, thereby leaving a margin between the edge of the sheet 4| and the edge of the sole l3. The outer sole I3 is provided with a beaded or rounded leather edge in the following manner: A leather binding strip 42 on the order of /2 inch in width having one edge aligned with the edge 40:: of the outer sole I3 is first stitched by a line of stitching, not 'shown, to the lower surface of said outer sole having the finished side of the leather strip 42 facing the finished side or lower surface of the outer sole I3. After stitching, the strip 42 is then turned back over the edge of the outer sole l3 forming a beaded edge 44. The free end of the strip 42 with the unfinished side thereof contacting the unfinishedor upper surface of the sole I3 is then stitched to said sole by a line ofblind stitching 43 which passes through the strip 42 and the outer sole l3 and is in substantial alignment with the stitching which first attached the strip 42 to the lower surface of the outer sole |3.

1c is noted that the line or stitching 43 will not pierce the filler 4| due to the margin between the twill, to the inner surface of which there is adhered a lining sheet |5b of satin or the like material. Stitched to the upper edge of the combined sheets |5a and l5b, as at I50, is the outer cov- The combined sheet I50, |5b is wetted to permit stretching thereof on the last'and the outer cover I 5d is stitched over the last by suitable means 46 and .41 as described in the paragraph below and pressed against said combined sheet. I prefer to use pre-shrunk twill to prevent shrinking when the combined sheet |5a, I 51) is wetted for stretching on the last. v

The bottom edges 45 of the upper or vamp l5 are turned inwardly beneath the under-surface of the inner sole l2 and attached thereto by sewing the inturned edges 45 together by a line of blind stitching 46 which passes through all the inturned,edges 45 of the vamp 5 and through the inturned edges of the covering layers 33 and u, as shown in Figs. Y1 and 4. The assembled units comprising the inner sole l2 and the vamp II are then attached to the outer sole by being stitched thereto by hand in the following manner: The assembled vamp and insole, with the strap structure 50, if used, attached thereto, are held in the relationship shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Then, starting at one end of the vamp, the line of hand stitching 41 is run from said end around to the other end; The stitching 41 passes through the upper inturned edge of the binding strip 42 and through one or more of the inturned edges of the vamp and insole-covering layers. This hand stitching can be accomplished by slightly separating the edge of the outsole l3 with its bindstitched to the insole. A strip 49 of paper-board or the like material may be interposed between the upper sole l2 and the sheet 4| to fill the space between the inturned edges'45 of-the vamp l5. In attaching the inner and outer soles l2 and I3 to the heel IS the spikes or pins 25 pierce the rear end of the member 40.

The slipper may be provided with a strap 50 attached as hereinafter explained, and engaging the rear of the heel of the foot I I. The strapqo 50 is provided with sleeves or pockets 5| at the ends thereof and elastic strips 52 attached, as at 53, within the pockets, have their outer ends stitched to the sides of the inner sole l2, as by a blind stitch 55 through the inturned margins of the covering pieces 33 and 34. When the strap is pulled the strips of elastic 52 being received within the pockets 5|, will remain substantially hidden. It will be noted that the sides of the vamp 5 substantially cover the connec-.2;) tion between the strap and the slipper.

The rear of the strap 50 or portion thereof which engages the crest of the heel of the foot is not rounded, but comprises two inclined underedges 51 meeting at an apex 59, adapted to engage the heel to prevent the strap from slipping off the heel. A tab 58 may be attached to the rear of the strap, said tab likewise having in- -clined underedges 51a registering with the edges 51 of the strap.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be 00 made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

' 1. In aslipper, the combination of an insole comprising a cardboard sheet, a metal plate having a plurality of nails welded to the underside thereof, said nails piercing said sheet, and a shank piece covering saidmetal plate and attached to said sheet, said shank piece having a longitudinal pre-curved steel strip fixed thereto and disposed beneath said shank piece and above said plate.

2. An insole for a slipper comprising a cardboard sheet, a metal plate having integral pins extending therefrom piercing said sheet, and a 'shankpiece covering said metal plate and at tached to said sheet, said shank piece having a longitudinal pre-curvedsteel strip fixed thereto and'disposed beneath said shank piece and above said plate. 60

3. In a slipper, the combination of an insole comprising a cardboard sheet, a metal plate having a plurality of nails welded to the underside thereof, said nails piercing said sheet, a shank piece covering said metal plate and attached to said sheet, said shank piece having a longitudinal pre-curved steel strip fixed thereto and disposed beneath said shank piece and above said plate,

a layer of padding material on said shank piece and said sheet, and a covering member overlying said layer.

,. MAX GUS'I'IN. 

